U.S. patent number 7,469,848 [Application Number 11/288,501] was granted by the patent office on 2008-12-30 for grater.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Helen of Troy Limited. Invention is credited to Eugene Kaneko, Hisato Ogata, Shunji Yamanaka.
United States Patent |
7,469,848 |
Yamanaka , et al. |
December 30, 2008 |
**Please see images for:
( Certificate of Correction ) ** |
Grater
Abstract
A grater for cutting, slicing and grating food. The grater
including a housing having a peripheral wall structure and a base
cooperating to define a receptacle. The housing including a skirt
portion extending away from the receptacle and being engageable by
a user's hand to hold the housing in place on an underlying support
surface. The grater includes a blade carried by the housing. The
skirt portion receives a user's hand in a grasping position to
simultaneously engage the skirt portion and the underlying support
surface.
Inventors: |
Yamanaka; Shunji (Tokyo,
JP), Ogata; Hisato (Tokyo, JP), Kaneko;
Eugene (Astoria, NY) |
Assignee: |
Helen of Troy Limited (St.
Michael, BB)
|
Family
ID: |
38086512 |
Appl.
No.: |
11/288,501 |
Filed: |
November 29, 2005 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20070119995 A1 |
May 31, 2007 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
241/95;
241/273.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47J
43/25 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47J
43/25 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;241/169,273.1,273.2,95,168,83 ;D7/678,669,679
;220/908,908.1,675 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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59-122843 |
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Jul 1984 |
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JP |
|
3034276 |
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Feb 1991 |
|
JP |
|
3080813 |
|
Apr 1991 |
|
JP |
|
2566495 |
|
Nov 1992 |
|
JP |
|
5-39437 |
|
Feb 1993 |
|
JP |
|
5-95439 |
|
Apr 1993 |
|
JP |
|
7-236578 |
|
Sep 1995 |
|
JP |
|
2001-286404 |
|
Oct 2001 |
|
JP |
|
Other References
Information Disclosure Statement dated Feb. 10, 2006. cited by
other.
|
Primary Examiner: Francis; Faye
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Claims
The invention is claimed as follows:
1. A grater comprising: a housing including a peripheral wall
structure having a top end and a bottom end, and a base connected
to said bottom end, said peripheral wall structure and said base
cooperating to define a receptacle, said housing including a skin
portion located adjacent the bottom end, the skirt portion being
separate from and extending away from said base and being
engageable by a user's hand to hold the housing in place on an
underlying support surface; and a blade carried by said housing;
said skirt portion being wider than said top end of said peripheral
wall structure and receiving a user's hand in a grasping position
to simultaneously engage the skirt portion and the underlying
support surface.
2. The grater of claim 1, which includes a grip connected to said
skirt portion of said housing.
3. The grater of claim 2, wherein said grip is made of at least one
of the materials selected from the group consisting of: a polymer
and an elastomer.
4. The grater of claim 1, wherein said peripheral wall structure
defines a spout operable to drain fluid from said receptacle.
5. The grater of claim 1, wherein said housing is made of at least
one of the materials selected from the group consisting of:
stainless steel, wood, glass, a polymer and an elastomer.
6. The grater of claim 1, wherein the blade defines a plurality of
openings and includes a plurality of protrusions adjacent to the
openings.
7. The grater of claim 6, wherein the protrusions have two
different sizes.
8. The grater of claim 6, wherein the protrusions are positioned on
each side of each opening and angle substantially inwardly.
9. The grater of claim 1, which includes a cover removably
connected to the housing.
10. A grater comprising: a housing including a peripheral wall
structure having a top end and a bottom end, and a base connected
to said bottom end, said peripheral wall structure and said base
cooperating to define a receptacle, said housing including a skin
portion located adjacent the bottom end, extending away from said
receptacle and being engageable by a user's hand to hold the
housing in place on an underlying support surface; a cover
removably connected to the housing; and a blade carried by said
housing; said skirt portion being wider than said top end of said
peripheral wall structure and receiving a user's hand in a grasping
position to simultaneously engage the skirt portion and the
underlying support surface, wherein the peripheral wall structure
defines a spout, the cover including a protruding member positioned
and shaped to overlie the spout for cooperating therewith to define
a gap for draining fluid from the grater that collected in the
receptacle.
11. The grater of claim 10, wherein said protruding member and an
adjacent portion of said skin portion are in substantially the same
plane and cooperate to define spaced supports to enable the grater
to stand independently and substantially vertically on the
underlying support surface.
12. A grater for processing a food item, the grater comprising: a
container including a top, a base and a skirt portion, the skirt
portion located adjacent the base, being separate from and
extending away from the base, said skirt portion being wider than
said top of said container; a grip attached to said skirt portion
and positioned to inhibit movement of said container along an
underlying support surface; and a blade carried by the container,
the skirt portion and attached grip adapted to receive a user's
hand in a grasping position, wherein the user's hand simultaneously
engages at least one of the skirt portion and the attached grip, as
well as the underlying support surface to securely hold the
container in place on the underlying support surface.
13. The grater of claim 12, wherein the grip is made of a
substantially non-skid material.
14. The grater of claim 12, wherein the grip is made of at least
one of the materials selected from the group consisting of: a
polymer and an elastomer.
15. The grater of claim 12, wherein the housing is made of at least
one of the materials selected from the group consisting of:
stainless steel, wood, glass, a polymer and an elastomer.
16. The grater of claim 12, wherein the blade defines a plurality
of openings and includes a plurality of protrusions adjacent to the
openings.
17. The grater of claim 16, wherein the protrusions have two
different sizes.
18. The grater of claim 16, wherein the protrusions are positioned
on each side of each opening and angle substantially inwardly.
19. The grater of claim 12, which includes a cover removably
connected to the container.
20. The grater of claim 12, wherein the grip extends beneath the
skirt portion.
21. The grater of claim 12, wherein the grip overlies the skin
portion.
22. A grater for processing a food item, the grater comprising: a
container including a top, a bottom and a skin portion which
extends downwardly and away from the container, said skirt portion
being wider than said top of said container; a grip attached to
said skirt portion and positioned to inhibit movement of said
container along an underlying support surface; a cover removably
connected to the container; and a blade carried by the container,
the skirt portion and attached grip adapted to receive a user's
hand in a grasping position, wherein the user's hand simultaneously
engages at least one of the skirt portion and the attached grip, as
well as the underlying support surface to securely hold the
container in place on the underlying support surface, wherein the
cover includes a protruding member positioned and shaped to overlie
a spout defined by the housing for cooperating therewith to define
a gap for draining fluid from the grater that collected in the
container.
23. The grater of claim 22, wherein said protruding member and an
adjacent portion of said skirt portion are in substantially the
same plane and cooperate to define spaced supports to enable the
grater to stand independently and substantially vertically on the
underlying support surface.
24. A grater comprising: a housing having a top and a bottom, said
housing defining a receptacle and a skirt portion, said receptacle
having a base, said skirt portion located adjacent the bottom,
extending laterally outwardly beyond said top of said housing,
being separate from and extending away from said base and being
engageable by a user's hand to hold the housing in place on an
underlying support surface; and a blade carried by said housing,
said skirt portion receiving a user's hand in a grasping position
to simultaneously engage the skirt portion and the underlying
support surface.
Description
BACKGROUND
The present invention is directed generally to kitchen utensils or
appliances and, more specifically, to food graters which cut, slice
or grate food items.
There are several different types of utensils or appliances which
cut, slice, grind, grate or process food items in a number of
different ways. Some of these devices enable a user to manually
process the food items. For example, a food mill typically includes
a container, a blade positioned in the bottom of the container and
a handle portion which is connected to the blade. A user rotates or
turns the handle to correspondingly rotate or turn the blade to
process a food item inserted into the container. The processed food
item comes out of the bottom of the food mill and falls into a
separate container, such as a bowl.
Another manually operated device is a conventional handheld grater
such as a cheese or vegetable grater. Such graters typically have a
relatively thin housing including a blade. The blade includes
several openings and relatively small blade-like protrusions which
are positioned adjacent to the openings. A user holds the grater in
one hand and manually slides a food item, such as a block of
cheese, on the top surface of the blade to cut or slice the food
item into smaller pieces. The smaller food pieces or particles may
drop from the bottom surface of the grater into a separate
container, such as a bowl.
Other graters combine containers and blades into one device. These
graters generally include a container defining an opening and a
blade portion which is seated in the opening. Some of these
containers also include a handle which extends from one end of the
grater and is used to carry and/or hold the grater. Typically a
user grasps the extended handle in one hand and slides or moves a
food item over the blade using the other hand as described above to
cut or slice the food item into smaller particles. The cut or
sliced particles fall from the bottom surface of the blade into the
container. The blade is removed to access the processed food in the
container.
One problem with conventional food graters is that it is difficult
to hold the food grater in position using a side-extended handle
while sliding or moving the food product along the blade. The force
associated with the movement of the food product over the blade
tends to move the entire grater in the same direction as the
movement of the food product. It is difficult to hold these graters
in place using one hand, because if a downward force is applied to
the handle to hold the grater down, the grater tends to tip or
rock. As a result, grating the food products using these types of
graters can be difficult and time consuming.
Another problem with conventional container/blade type graters is
that they often slip or move during use. In some situations users
place wet towels or cloths underneath the graters to minimize
slipping. Alternatively, some food graters include feet or legs
which have non-skid or non-slip material attached to the bottom of
the legs. Other food graters have a non-skid or non-slip pad
attached to the bottom of the graters to prevent slipping or
sliding. However, such food graters are still difficult to hold in
position because of the positioning of the handles on these graters
and the difficulty of holding the food graters against the surface
supporting the food grater, as described above.
Accordingly there is a need for an improved food grater which
enables the user to stably hold the food grater in position on a
support surface using one hand while sliding a food product over
the blade portion of the grater using the other hand.
SUMMARY
The present invention is directed to a grater and, more
specifically, to a grater for a food item which enables a user to
securely hold the grater against a support surface while grating
the food item.
One embodiment of the grater of the present invention provides a
housing including a peripheral wall structure and a base
cooperating to define a receptacle. The housing including a skirt
portion extending away from the receptacle and being engageable by
a user's hand to hold the housing in place on an underlying support
surface. The grater also including a blade carried by the housing,
The skirt portion receiving a user's hand in a grasping position to
simultaneously engage the skirt portion and the underlying support
surface.
In an embodiment, the grater includes a grip connected to the skirt
portion of the housing. In another embodiment, the grip is made of
at least one of the materials selected from the group consisting
of: a polymer and an elastomer.
In an embodiment, the housing defines a spout operable to drain
fluid from the receptacle.
In another embodiment, the housing is made of at least one of the
materials selected from the group consisting of: stainless steel,
wood, glass, a polymer and an elastomer.
In an embodiment, the blade defines a plurality of openings and
includes a plurality of protrusions adjacent to the openings. In
one embodiment, the protrusions have two different sizes. In
another embodiment, the protrusions are positioned on each side of
each opening and angle substantially inwardly.
In an embodiment, the grater includes a cover removably connected
to the housing.
In another embodiment, the cover includes a protruding member
positioned and shaped to overlie the spout for cooperating
therewith to define a gap for draining fluid from the grater that
collected in the receptacle.
In an embodiment, wherein the protruding member cooperates with an
adjacent portion of the skirt portion to define spaced supports to
enable the grater to stand substantially vertically on the support
surface.
Another embodiment of the present invention provides a grater for
processing a food item including a container including a skirt
portion which extends downwardly and away from the container. The
skirt portion engageable by a user's hand to hold the container in
place on an underlying support surface. The grater includes a grip
attached to the skirt portion to inhibit movement of the container
along the support surface. The grater also includes a blade carried
by the container. The skirt portion and attached grip are adapted
to receive a user's hand in a grasping position, wherein the user's
hand simultaneously engages at least one of the skirt portion and
the attached grip, as well as the underlying support surface to
securely hold the container in place on the support surface.
In an embodiment, the grip is made of a substantially non-slip
material.
In another embodiment, the grip is made of at least one of the
materials selected from the group consisting of: a polymer and an
elastomer.
In another embodiment, the container defines a spout operable to
drain fluid from the container.
In an embodiment, the housing is made of at least one of the
materials selected from the group consisting of: stainless steel,
wood, glass, a polymer and an elastomer.
In another embodiment, the blade defines a plurality of openings
and includes a plurality of protrusions adjacent to the
openings.
In an embodiment, the protrusions have two different sizes. In
another embodiment, the protrusions are positioned on each side of
each opening and angle substantially inwardly.
In another embodiment, the grater includes a cover removably
connected to the container.
In another embodiment, the cover includes a protruding member
positioned and shaped to overlie the spout for cooperating
therewith to define a gap for draining fluid from the grater that
collected in the container.
In an embodiment, wherein the protruding member cooperates with an
adjacent portion of the skirt portion to define spaced supports to
enable the grater to stand substantially vertically on the support
surface.
It is therefore an advantage of the present invention to provide a
grater which is easily controllable and very stable during use.
Another advantage of the present invention is to provide a grater
which is comfortable to use.
A further advantage of the present invention is to provide a grater
which is aesthetically desirable and appropriate to be placed on a
table during meals.
Another advantage of the present invention is to provide a grater
which is easy and inexpensive to manufacture.
A further advantage of the present invention is to provide a grater
having a spout and a blade which cooperate to act as a strainer for
removing and draining fluid from a grated food item.
A further advantage of the present invention is to provide a grater
which can by stored horizontally or vertically to maximize storage
space.
Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent
from the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunction with
the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein like numerals refer to
like parts, elements, components, steps and processes.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of one embodiment of the grater of
the present invention.
FIG. 1A is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective view taken
substantially along line 1A-1A in FIG. 1 illustrating a plurality
of protrusions formed on the blade of FIG. 1.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the grater of FIG. 1,
including a cover.
FIG. 3 is a cross section view taken substantially along line 3-3
in FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is a cross section view taken substantially along line 4-4
in FIG. 2.
FIG. 5 is a side view of the embodiment of the grater of FIG. 1
including the cover illustrating the grater standing vertically on
a support surface for storage.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to FIGS. 1, 1A, 2, 3, 4 and 5, in one embodiment, a
grater 100 includes a housing or container 101. The housing 101
includes a peripheral wall structure 102 having two side walls 104
and two end walls 105, the structure 102 closed at its lower ends
by a bottom wall or base 106 for cooperating therewith to define an
open-top receptacle 107 for receiving cut, sliced or grated food
products or food items. The lower ends of the side walls 104 and
end walls 105 have a generally tapered or curved shape. It should
be appreciated that the end walls 105 and side walls 104 may be
sloped or angled at any suitable angle and may have a suitable
configuration.
In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 101 includes an outer
wall or skirt portion 108 which is connected to the peripheral wall
structure 102 and extends downwardly and laterally outwardly
therefrom away from the base 106 of the housing. It should be
appreciated that the outer wall or skirt portion may extend from a
portion of the perimeter or periphery of the housing or the entire
perimeter or periphery of the housing. In the illustrated
embodiment, the lower or bottom end of the skirt portion 108 may be
in substantially the same plane as the bottom surface or base 106
of the housing 101. It should be appreciated that the skirt portion
108 may extend from the top of the housing, the bottom of the
housing or any intermediate position on the housing. As shown in
FIGS. 3 and 4, the lower or bottom end of the skirt portion 108 is
in substantially the same plane as the bottom wall or base 106 of
the housing 102 and is spaced laterally outwardly therefrom. It
should be appreciated that the bottom of the skirt portion 108 may
be disposed in any suitable plane or planes. The outer walls or
skirt portion 108 enables a user to place a hand flatly on top of
the skirt portion 108 to hold the grater 100 firmly against the
support surface 130.
In one embodiment, the tops of the side walls 104 and end walls 105
of the housing 101 include lips 110 which overhang a portion of the
side and end walls. In the illustrated embodiment, the lips 110 are
integrally formed with the housing 101.
In one embodiment, a blade portion or blade 111 is positioned over
the open-top receptacle 107 and is seated in or carried by the
housing 101. The blade 111 includes flanges 112 which extend over
the lips 110 of the housing 101 to enable the blade 111 to be
carried by the housing. The blade 111 may be loosely placed on the
top of the housing 102 and seated in the open-top receptacle 107 as
shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Alternatively, the blade 111 may be seated
in the opening defined by the housing 101 and connected to the
housing such as be a friction fit or snap fit connection. To this
end, the blade has a peripheral depending wall 114.
In the illustrated embodiment, the housing 101 defines a spout 109
at one end to enable the grater to be used as a strainer. A user
tilts or tips the housing 101 including the blade 111 to drain or
pour off any fluid collected in the receptacle 107 during or after
using the grater. As best illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, the
blade 111 includes a rounded protruding member 113 is dimensioned
and positioned to overlie the spout 109. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4,
the protruding member 113 extends over a portion of the spout 109
to create a gap or space between the opening of the spout 109 and
the protruding member 113. The gap is sized to enable a fluid or
liquid collected by the receptacle 107 to be poured from the spout
109 into a container, sink or the like and to keep cut, sliced or
grated food items in the container. It should be appreciated that
the spout 109 and the protruding member 113 may be any suitable
size or shape and may be positioned at any suitable location on the
housing.
In one embodiment, the blade 111 defines a plurality of openings or
holes 116. The openings or holes 116 may be divided into different
groups of openings or holes where the groups of openings are
positioned at angles on the blade. It should be appreciated that
one or more of the openings 116 or groups of the openings may be
positioned at the same or different angles on the blade. It should
also be appreciated that the openings may be positioned at any
suitable configuration or arrangement.
In the illustrated embodiment, a plurality of first protrusions or
first cutting members 118 are positioned adjacent to the openings
or holes 116 and extend generally upwardly away from the top
surface of the blade 111. A plurality of second protrusions or
second cutting members 120 are also positioned adjacent to the
openings or holes 116 and are alternately positioned between the
first protrusions 118. In the illustrated embodiment, the first and
second protrusions are positioned about the perimeter of each of
the openings 116. The first protrusions 118 are larger than the
second protrusions 120. It should be appreciated that the first and
second protrusions may be any suitable sizes or shapes and
positioned about a portion or the entire perimeter of the openings
116 or in any suitable location on the blade 111.
Referring to FIG. 1A, the first and second protrusions 118 and 120
are angled inwardly over each of the openings 116. It should be
appreciated that the angle of the first and second protrusions may
be any suitable angle or angles. It should also be appreciated that
at least one, a plurality or all of the first protrusions may be
positioned at the same or different angles from one or more of the
second protrusions. The first and second protrusions are engaged by
a food item that is slid or moved over the top of the blade 111.
The first and second protrusions 118 and 120 extend generally
upwardly and cut into at least a portion of the food item to cut,
slice or grate a portion of the food item. The cut, sliced or
grated food item portions or particles move through the openings
116 on the bottom of the blade 111 and fall into the receptacle
107.
In one embodiment, a grip portion or grip 122 is connected to the
housing. The grip 122 is manufactured with a substantially non-skid
or non-slip material, such as a suitable elastomer which may be of
a type sold under the trademark Santoprene.TM.. In the illustrated
embodiment, the grip 122 is attached to or overmolded on the
housing 101 and covers the entire outer surface of the skirt
portion 108, as well as the upper end of the peripheral wall
structure 102. The grip 122 extends under a portion of the bottom
edge of the skirt portion 108, as best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4. It
should be appreciated that the grip 122 may extend under a portion
of the skirt or under a portion or all of the bottom wall of the
housing. In the illustrated embodiment, the grip 122 extends about
the entire perimeter of the housing 101. It should be appreciated
that the grip 122 may extend about a portion or the entire
perimeter of the housing. The grip 122 is generally made with at
least one of a polymer and an elastomer. The grip 122 provides a
comfortable cushioned surface for a user's hand and also helps to
minimize the sliding movement of the grater along the support
surface 130 while a food item is being cut or grated by the
grater.
In operation, a user places the grater 100 on a generally planar,
flat or underlying support surface 130 such as a table top or
counter top where the bottom or base 106 of the housing 101 and,
more specifically, the grip 122, contacts the support surface 130.
The user then places one hand flatly on at least a portion of the
grip 122 and simultaneously on a portion of the support surface to
stably and securely hold the grater in place on the support
surface. The user uses the other hand to hold and slide or move a
food item, such as a vegetable or a block of cheese, on the top of
the blade 111. The cut, sliced or grated food item falls downwardly
into the open-top receptacle 107 defined by the housing 101. The
grated food item is stored in the container until a desired amount
of the grated food item is in the receptacle. The grater 100
therefore enables a user to easily and securely hold the grater in
place while grating one or more food items.
Referring to FIG. 2, in one embodiment, the grater 100 includes a
cover 126 that snaps onto or connects to the housing 101 using tabs
124. Specifically, the tabs 124 on the housing 101 engage or snap
into corresponding indents 115 formed on an inside surface of the
cover 126, as best shown in FIG. 3. The engagement of the tabs 124
and indents 115 secure the cover 126 to the housing 101. The cover
126 can also be removed from the housing 101 as necessary. The
cover 126 may be made out of the same or a different material than
the housing 101 and/or blade 111. In the illustrated embodiment,
the tabs 124 are integrally formed with the housing 101.
Alternatively, the tabs 124 may be formed on the cover 126 and
adapted to engage openings or holes formed on the housing 101. It
should be appreciated that any suitable connector or connectors may
be used to connect or secure the cover 126 to the housing 101.
The grater of the present invention is configured to be stored
horizontally or vertically in a cabinet, drawer or other storage
area. In FIG. 5, the grater 100 is shown standing generally upright
or vertical on the support surface 130. To stand the grater 100 in
an upright or vertical position, the end of the grater including
the spout 109 is placed on the support surface 130. In this
position, the spout 109 and, more specifically, the portion of the
cover 126 which covers the spout, and the skirt portion 122 are
generally in the same plane and each contact the support surface
130 to act as legs or supports for standing the grater 100 on its
end. Storing the grater 100 in the upright or vertical position
shown in FIG. 5 significantly minimizes the amount of storage space
needed for the grater in cabinets, on countertops and other storage
locations.
The housing, blade and other components of the grater may be made
with any suitable material or materials such as a stainless steel,
wood, glass, a polymer and/or an elastomer or any suitable
combination of these materials. The grater may also be made to be
any suitable shape or configuration or include any suitable
decorative pattern or patterns.
While the present invention is described in connection with what is
presently considered to be the most practical and preferred
embodiments, it should be appreciated that the invention is not
limited to the disclosed embodiments, and is intended to cover
various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within
the spirit and scope of the claims. Modifications and variations in
the present invention may be made without departing from the novel
aspects of the invention as defined in the claims, and this
application is limited only by the scope of the claims.
* * * * *